To paraphrase Curly Howard of "The Three Stooges," the Obama administration is just “a victim of soicumstance."
Who would have thought ordering the ATF to go into the gun–running business would result in the murder of a Border Patrol agent by members of a Mexican drug cartel?
Who could have predicted that telling Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad not to cross the “red line” of using chemical weapons and then not doing anything when he did would result in a collapse of U.S. credibility?
Who would have imagined Bill Clinton having a “chance meeting” with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, just before the FBI gave Hillary a "Get Out of Jail" card, would create doubts about the fairness of the justice system.
And finally who could believe the American public is so suspicious that it would think sending $400 million to Iran before the mullahs would release four hostages is paying ransom?
I admit the appearance isn’t good.
Four Americans, kidnapped by the lawless, terror–supporting regime, are waiting at the airport to be released. And waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Iran doesn’t even have TSA, so that can’t be the problem. Finally one of the hostages is courageous enough to ask about the delay.
Surprisingly, instead of kicks and punches his jailer tells him the government is waiting for a plane to arrive. The Iranians evidently won’t take checks from countries that can’t balance their budgets, so the State Department had to scramble.
Eventually a plane lands with $400 million in cash stacked on pallets in the hold. The good–hearted, trusting Iranians don’t make the hostages wait until all the money is counted. Instead they were released.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the release was completely separate from the “settlement payment” and the fact the hostages were at the same airport as the money is just one of the vagaries of air travel today. He told Fox News: “We just don’t pay ransom . . . This was not ransom.”
So I ask you, are you going to believe the man who said you could keep your doctor, or are you going to believe the nurse who tells you the doctor won’t see you?
It could be the $400 million is the first really successful job–creation program of the Obama administration. Before, kidnapping Americans was a lose–lose situation, because the USA didn’t pay ransom to criminals.
Now every citizen abroad is a potential profit center for entrepreneurial Iranians.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read more reports from Michael Reagan — Go Here Now.